Stephen HolderMar 17, 2026, 03:57 PM ET
CloseStephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Carson Towt just ended one athletic career and has now started another only a week later.
The former Notre Dame basketball player on Tuesday signed a free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts, who intend to give him a shot as a tight end. The Colts famously have had success with a similar project, former VCU basketball player Mo Alie-Cox, who re-signed this week and is entering his ninth season as a tight end with the team.
Towt, who led Notre Dame in rebounding (9.0 per game), played in his final game with the Irish in last week’s ACC tournament. But with his eligibility now up, he is turning his attention to football, which he has never played at any level.
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Towt said his belief that he can make the transition is based on “just an awareness of my physical gifts that were showcased on the basketball floor… I think this sport honors those things and my frame, how I developed as a player, kind of my play style and what I pride myself on.”
Towt, who the Irish listed at 6-8 and 250 pounds, said he sees himself as a physical basketball player. He led the nation in rebounding in 2024-25 while at Northern Arizona. He’s also been one of the better offensive rebounders in the country. In 2024-25, he was a unanimous Big Sky all-defensive team selection.
The success the Colts had with Alie-Cox likely informed the decision to give Towt a shot. And Towt said he took some inspiration from Alie-Cox, with whom he connected in recent months when Towt was considering this path. Alie-Cox also had no football experience.
“You hear the story and you’re like, ‘Okay, maybe he’s in a different position,'” Towt said of Alie-Cox. “No, he actually had to start from square one, too. So, I thought that was special and can relate to that.”
It’s not a new concept for college basketball players to make the jump to NFL tight end. Players such as Hall of Famer Antonio Gates transitioned to football after playing college basketball. But there are others who have not been successful, including former Coastal Carolina basketball player Colin Granger. He was released last May by the Carolina Panthers after joining the team a month earlier.